Work continues on the construction of Panathinaikos’ new stadium in Votanikos, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Athens Mayor Charis Doukas, and the club’s owner Giannis Alafouzos attending the site.

The Prime Minister, accompanied by Mayor Charis Doukas and Panathinaikos FC President Giannis Alafouzos, toured the under-construction facilities, where the first section of the stands has been installed, and was briefed on the project’s completion timeline. The new stadium, with a capacity of approximately 40,000 spectators, is part of a dual redevelopment plan in the Votanikos and Alexandras Avenue areas, aimed at upgrading the wider area through the creation of green spaces, sports, and cultural facilities.

The new facilities in Votanikos will include, in addition to the football stadium, a large park and recreational spaces.

Concluding his visit, Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated:
“The dual redevelopment, once a dream of a summer night, is now becoming a reality, and I am very pleased to see today the significant progress achieved in the construction of Panathinaikos’ new stadium. A stadium that will be a real ‘jewel,’ a stadium that Panathinaikos deserves and that its fans have dreamed of for many decades.

But it is not just that. The stadium is part of a very ambitious dual redevelopment, which the government had agreed upon with the previous municipal administration and is now being implemented by the current administration, with very good cooperation between us.

The area we are standing in today, as the Mayor also mentioned, was essentially a landfill. Now, we are carrying out a very significant redevelopment. The amateur club will have its own facilities, additional uses will be added, so that an area that was essentially Athens’ ‘black hole’ will gain new life. I believe we need to have very ambitious plans for how this area can be developed as a whole.

I would like to remind you that this project is being carried out with substantial national and European funding. We consider it an investment that will pay off, not only because Panathinaikos deserves this stadium—which, as I mentioned, its fans have dreamed of for decades—but also because it will allow us to develop a severely underdeveloped area that is, nevertheless, very close to the center of Athens.

Therefore, we look forward to meeting the project deadlines. I would like to thank the consortium and all the workers. As you can see, a significant number of people are employed in this project, and this number will increase further in the coming months. We look forward to delivering the project, as agreed, by May 2027. Happy holidays and a happy new year to everyone.”

Athens Mayor Charis Doukas remarked:
“This is a real example—an excellent example of cooperation between local government, the state, the amateur club, and the professional team—to complete a ‘jewel’ in the center of Athens, in an area that was once a landfill. We sincerely thank everyone for the outstanding collaboration.”

Panathinaikos FC President Giannis Alafouzos stated:
“The stadium is progressing according to the schedule set by the consortium. The concrete will be finished by May 2026, and the stadium will be delivered by May 2027. I want to thank the government, the local authorities, and all those involved in this tremendous effort to realize a dream of Panathinaikos fans. The project was originally designed in 2008.

It would be very nice to turn a stand from the ‘Apostolos Nikolaidis’ stadium—something we have also discussed with the Mayor—into a museum piece, and to have a small playground there for children, so that Athens also has a place for kids to play.”